The present invention relates to evaluation of aortic valve calcification, and more particularly, to automated evaluation of aortic valve calcification in medical image data for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVI) procedures.
In recent years, there has been a major trend in cardiac therapy towards minimally invasive procedures to reduce the risks involved with classical surgical techniques. Percutaneous cardiac interventions, such as TAVI, are becoming the standard therapy for high risk surgical patients. Such procedures off the potential to reduce morbidity, mortality, and costs of surgical valve replacement or repair, while accelerating patient recovery. The TAVI procedure involves accessing a femoral artery, performing balloon valvuloplasty, then advancing an artificial aortic valve across the native valve using a catheter. During rapid right ventricular pacing, a balloon is inflated to deploy the artificial valve. Strokes can be a major complication during TAVI procedures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of cases in which strokes occur, show multifocal areas of cerebral infarction, suggesting embolization. Another drawback of TAVI interventions involves paravalvular leakages, in which blood flows through a channel between the structure of the implanted valve and the cardiac tissue due to a lack of appropriate sealing. Both of these complications are related to calcium deposits inside the aortic valve.